Welcome to 'OZ' - The 'Other' Side of the Rainbow!! Some posts may be seen as offensive. Posting is at 10AM and 2PM CST daily. Six days of posts are on the main page. The archives have more. You can forward posts by clicking on the envelope at the bottom of the post. Enjoy your stay! *** If you need to contact me, or have a copyright issue, please use the "Contact The Wizard" form on the right side of 'OZ'. Original source and author is cited and credited in each post where possible. ***

***Disclaimer***

*****Disclaimer: The Wizard of 'OZ' makes no money at all from 'OZ' - The 'Other' Side of the Rainbow. 'OZ' is 100 % ad-free*****

If you didn't see this on the Tonight show, I hope you're sitting down when you read it. This is probably the funniest date story ever, first date or not!!! We have all had bad dates, but this takes the cake.

Jay Leno went into the audience to find the most embarrassing first date that a woman ever had.

The winner described her worst first date experience. There was absolutely no question as to why her tale took the prize!

She said it was midwinter... Snowing and quite cold...and the guy had taken her skiing in the mountains outside Salt Lake City, Utah.

It was a day trip (no overnight). They were strangers, after all, and truly had never met before.

The outing was fun but relatively uneventful until they were headed home late that afternoon.

They were driving back down the mountain, when she gradually began to realize that she should not have had that extra latte.

They were about an hour away from anywhere with a rest room and in the middle of nowhere!

Her companion suggested she try to hold it, which she did for a while.

Unfortunately, because of the heavy snow and slow going, there came a point where she told him that he had better stop and let her go beside the road, or it would be the front seat of his car. They stopped and she quickly crawled out beside the car, yanked her pants down and started. In the deep snow she didn't have good footing, so she let her butt rest against the rear fender to steady herself.

Her companion stood on the side of the car watching for traffic and indeed was a real gentleman and refrained from peeking. All she could think about was the relief she felt despite the rather embarrassing nature of the situation. Upon finishing however, she soon became aware of another sensation.

As she bent to pull up her pants, the young lady discovered her buttocks were firmly glued against the car's fender.

Thoughts of tongues frozen to poles immediately came to mind as she attempted to disengage her flesh from the icy metal. It was quickly apparent that she had a brand new problem due to the extreme cold.

Horrified by her plight and yet aware of the humor of the moment, she answered her date's concerns about "what is taking so long" with a reply that indeed, she was "freezing her butt off and in need of some assistance!"

He came around the car as she tried to cover herself with her sweater and then, as she looked imploringly into his eyes, he burst out laughing.

She too, got the giggles and when they finally managed to compose themselves, they assessed her dilemma.

Obviously, as hysterical as the situation was, they also were faced with a real problem. Both agreed it would take something hot to free her chilly cheeks from the grip of the icy metal!

Thinking about what had gotten her into the predicament in the first place, both quickly realized that there was only one way to get her free.

So, as she looked the other way, her first-time date proceeded to unzip his pants and pee her butt off the fender. As the audience screamed in laughter, she took the Tonight Show prize hands down... Or perhaps that should be "pants down." And youthought your first date was embarrassing.

**The following 'jokes' do not necessarily represent the views of The Wizard of 'OZ', (Most are truly tasteless and I even cleaned up the list!)

Q: What's worse than finding a Justin Bieber CD in your boyfriend's bedroom? A: Finding a box of tissues next to it. Q: What’s the difference between a water bottle and puberty? A: A water bottle has already hit Justin Bieber. Q: Why is Justin Bieber so pale? A: Because theres no light in the closet! Q: How do stories from Justin Biebers early childhood begin? A: "A few months ago" Scientists have discovered a disease that lowers your intelligence by 90% Bieber Fever Q: Why doesn't Justin Bieber eat bananas? A: He can't find the zipper! Q: How did Justin Bieber hurt his head? A: He fell off a ladder trying to reach puberty! Q: What does Justin Bieber and a Christmas tree have in common? A: Their balls are just for decoration. Q: What does Justin Bieber and the New Years crowd at Time Square have in common? A: They’re both waiting for balls to drop! Q: What do you call a Canadian girl who can't sing? A: Justin Bieber. Q: What is Justin Bieber's new hit single? A: "If I were a Boy" Q: What does Justin Bieber and Pinocchio have in common? A: They both want to be real boys. Q: What is the biggest lie of 2011? A: "Justin Bieber is the father of my Baby"A teen girl walks into a medical clinic and tells the doctor she has "Bieber Fever."Doctor: Nope it is Herpes!How do you piss off Justin Bieber?Tell him Santa Claus aint real.How do you REALLY piss him off?Punch him in the teeth & tell him the tooth fairy ain't real!source: http://www.jokes4us.com/celebrityjokes/justinbieberjokes.html

For those who have never heard about "Riderville" - that is the home of Saskatchewan Roughrider Nation. The Riders, as they are called, are a team in the Canadian Football League (CFL). **side note: The CFL rules that there shall be no more than 3 downs, First shalt thou take three downs. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out.The Riders this season are sitting 5 and OH. There is no other team in the CFL that has such dedicated fans as Rider Nation. Saskatchewan is hosting the Grey Cup this year and we hope to be in it. So far so good!Take a look see at what the Rider Nation brings at riderville.com

Organized football in Saskatchewan began on Tuesday, September 6, 1910 with the formation of the Regina Rugby Club. The original idea was for the team to be a rowing club, but three-down football soon found its way to Saskatchewan. The original colours of the Regina Rugby Club were gold and purple. The team lost its first game 7-6 to Moose Jaw.The next season, the team changed its colours to blue and white to match the Regina Amateur Athletic Association. A third colour change occurred in 1912 when they changed to red and black, which they would keep for the next 36 years. In 1924, the team changed its name from the Regina Rugby Club to the Regina Roughriders.Ottawa's Rugby Club had been called the Rough Riders since the 1890's, but dropped it in favor of the "Senators" in 1924. Regina jumped at the chance to adopt the name "Roughriders".There are two theories on where the name "Roughriders" came from. One states that it came from the North West Mounted Police who were called Roughriders because they broke the wild horse broncos used by the force. The other states there was a Canadian contingent who fought with Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt’s troops became known as the Roughriders. Following the war, the troops returned to Canada, part settling in Ottawa, and the rest moving out West. The colours of the Roosevelt infantry were red and black.In 1921, East-West interlocking games began being played for the Canadian Championship symbolized by the Grey Cup.Lacking suitable opposition in this province, in 1936, Regina banded with Winnipeg to form the Western Conference.The year 1948 was a milestone one for the Roughriders. With the folding of both clubs in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon, the Regina Roughriders became a provincially-owned and -operated club, surviving only on the undying support from the entire province. They became the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS".The team also changed its colours in 1948 to the familiar Green and White. The team was in bad need of new uniforms, and when executive member Jack Fyffe found a set of green and white jerseys at a surplus store in Chicago, for pure economic reasons, the 50 year legacy of the "Green and White" was born and has existed to this day.In 1956, the Roughriders suffered a terrible tragedy when players Gordon Sturtridge (#73), Mel Beckett (#40), Ray Syrnyk (#56) and Mario Demarco (#55) were killed in a plane crash while returning from an all-star game in Vancouver. Flight #810 crashed into Mt. Slesse in the Coastal Mountains just south of Chilliwack, B.C. The four players’ uniforms are among the eight Roughrider numbers retired by the club. Dave Ridgway (#36), Ron Lancaster (#23), George Reed (#34) and Roger Aldag (#44) are the others.Ten years removed from the tragic accident, the Roughriders, with coach Eagle Keys at the helm, saw their first great achievement. By defeating the Ottawa Rough Riders 29-14 in Vancouver's Empire Stadium on November 26th, 1966, Saskatchewan captured its first Grey Cup championship. Lancaster and Reed played key roles in leading the Riders to their first national title.The Riders remained one of the best teams in the CFL for nearly 15 years, making the post-season every year from 1962 to 1976. Included in that span was five Grey Cup appearances, 1966 (which they won), 1967, '69, '72 and '76The Roughriders would update their look one more time in 1985, adding black and silver to the Green and White, and featuring a new stylized ‘S’ logo.The team had several lean years during the late-‘70s and early 1980s, where poor on-field performances led to even worse gates. However, fans remained positive that a turn-around would soon come and it did, by way of one of the best Grey Cup games ever played.On November 26, 1989, kicker Dave Ridgway nailed a 35-yard last minute field goal to seal the Roughriders’ second ever Grey Cup championship with a 43-40 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Toronto’s SkyDome. Canada’s Team has now made the playoffs six straight years, including four appearances in the Western Division Finals since 2003. The Riders reached the pinnacle of the CFL for the third time in the team’s history when they captured the Grey Cup in Toronto on November 25, 2007 after defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19. As the Green and White hit the field this season, there is no question this team is primed to continue adding to its storied history.*Team History from riderville.com

Monday, July 29, 2013

Sean Hayes comes back to the network that made him a household name in his new comedy Sean Saves the World. In the multi-camera sitcom, Hayes stars as a divorced gay dad juggling his demanding career, offbeat employees, pushy mom Lorna (Linda Lavin) and weekends with his teenage daughter, Ellie (Sami Isler). But when Ellie moves in full-time, Sean becomes determined to be the best dad in the world.

Hayes' flamboyantly optimistic and sometimes fumbling character, the big city setting and even the comedy style of Sean recalls the heyday of Will & Grace, which was a critically acclaimed darling that earned 16 Emmy awards, including one for Hayes in the supporting actor in a comedy category. Hayes and executive producer Victor Fresco noted that the groundbreaking comedy paved the way for shows like Sean.

"Of course it was impactful, but to say that being on it, I don't want to sound egotistical," Hayes said at NBC's Television Critics Association's fall TV previews on Saturday. "I would like to believe that it had a big influence on the gay movement in America."

Yesterday, my daughter again asked why I didn't do something useful with my time. Talking about my "doing something useful" seemed to be her favorite topic of conversation. She was "only thinking of me," and suggested I go down to the senior center and hang out with the guys. I did this and when I got home last night I decided to teach her a lesson about staying out of my business. I told her that I had joined a parachute club. She said, "Are you nuts? You 're almost 79 years old, and you're going to start jumping out of airplanes?" I proudly showed her that I even got a membership card. She said to me, "Good grief, where are your glasses! This is a membership to a Prostitute Club, not a Parachute Club." "I'm in trouble again, and I don't know what to do...I signed up for five jumps a week," I told her. She fainted. Life as a senior citizen is not getting any easier, but sometimes it can be fun !

Sunday, July 28, 2013

I don't know what to do with my hands... fortunately that's not what we're using here.

I'm not a video game blogger, but I do enjoy being the impending-sign-of-the-apocalypse blogger every once in a while. Let's just get this out of the way: Custom Maid 3D has been letting you have virtual sex with a controller you insert your penis into since February. So, that's boring now. Insert penis, play sex game, orgasm, got it, boring. You custom design a maid (get the title now?) and have sex with her. There are even buttons on the penis controller so your hand never needs to leave the shaft.

But now it's for Oculus Rift, the first real commercially-available virtual reality game system. So, yeah: you put on glasses, there's a hot anime maid lady, and then your Ju-C Air penis controller starts responding to both of your moves. When you're done, you roll over and look at the virtual ceiling. The CEILING! And then, you take off your glasses and look at the destruction of the room you violently humped while wearing your Oculus Rift glasses.

So, there you have it. The second you finished reading that sentence was the second you moved into the era of virtual sex. Remember this moment when you are walking down a deserted city street in 8 months and no one is outside because everyone is either having virtual sex for days on end or dead from forgetting to eat while having virtual sex for days on end.

This blog has a story on Anthony Bidulka, writer of the "Russell Quant" mysteries, and a resident of Saskatoon. I recently read "Amuse Bouche: A Russell Quant Mystery" and was totally enthralled. I love the way he weaves in specific details of Saskatoon in this novel! He peppers them in with references to fictitious places. Love it.

This originally appeared on "Scene of the Crime" :Anthony Bidulka is a Canadian writer of mystery novels. His books feature gay detective Russell Quant. His 2004 novel Flight of Aquavit won the 2005 Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Mystery Novel. Bidulka received Lambda Literary Award nominations again in 2009 for Sundowner Ubuntu, and in 2013 for Dos Equis.He currently lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.Anyway, click below to go to "Scene of the Crime", to read more about this cool author and Russell Quant's adventures!

MeaningTo 'get cold feet' is to become disheartened or timid, losing one's previous enthusiasm or courage.OriginWhy this term was coined isn't at all clear. On the face of it there doesn't seem to be any obvious connection with the literal meaning of cold feet and the meaning of the phrase.There are a couple of citations of the phrase from 1896, including this from Stephen Crane's novel Maggie, a girl of the streets, 1896:"I knew this was the way it would be. They got cold feet."

While bare footprints in the snow would make your feet cold, 'Cold Feet' has nothing to do with the literal meaning

Apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.A loss or lack of courage or confidence; an onset of uncertainty or fear.To “have cold feet” is to be too fearful to undertake or complete an action.A wave of timidity or fearfulness.Loss or lack of courage or confidence.Timidity that prevents the continuation of a course of action.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Grumpy Cat (born April 4, 2012), real name Tardar Sauce, is a female cat and Internet celebrity known for her grumpy facial expression. Her owner Tabatha Bundesen says that her permanently grumpy-looking face is due to feline dwarfism. Grumpy Cat's popularity originated from a picture posted to the social news website reddit by Tabatha's brother Bryan on September 22, 2012. It was made into an image macro with grumpy captions. "The Official Grumpy Cat" on Facebook has over 1.1 million Likes. Grumpy Cat was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal on May 30, 2013.--more at wikipedia--

Sully Erna is a practicing Wiccan, which he speaks openly about. Erna had this to say about his religious views in a 1999 interview with NY Rock.

Erna said: “Contrary to what most people wish to believe, Wicca is a very peaceful, harmonious and balanced way of thinking, an earth religion if you want. I believe it is the oldest religion, definitely pre-Christian, and we don't worship Satan or the devil because we don't believe in it. We believe that the earth is a mother to us all and we should honor and respect her and live a harmonious life.

We don't own the earth but we are part of it and to destroy it means to destroy ourselves. We respect life above all. Respect for life and free thought I'd say are the basics for Wicca. We respect every other religion because we think all gods and goddesses are the same. People just worship them in a different way.

Wicca is often mistakenly associated with evil, but we believe in Karma and if we do something bad it comes back to haunt us, as a godsmack! That's the basic creed, harm none. We don't sacrifice people and we don't sacrifice animals because we believe in harming no one. We also don't worship Satan; he is a Christian creation and they can keep him.

Wicca doesn't work with fear. It's about your own consciousness and doing what's right. We believe in the Law of Three: whatever you do comes back three fold, good or bad.”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are roaming in the forest when they come across a lake. The water was enticing and Snow White decides to take a bath. So she tells the Dwarfs to turn around while she is taking a bath in the lake. The Dwarfs protest vehemently because they want to take a bath, too. Snow White relents and says, "When I get into the water and you hear the splash, you can turn around."

Snow White undresses and as she is about to jump into the water, at that very moment, she is startled by a frog who jumps into the water before she can. The moment the Dwarfs hear the SPLASH, they turn around and see Snow White standing NAKED.

Now, given that this incident is an idea for a TV ad, what product is being advertised?

Come on now,

this should be easy for a person of your background and mental powers.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

On July 22nd I was in route to Washington, DC for a business trip. It was all so very ordinary, until we landed in Denver for a plane change. As I collected my belongings from the overhead bin, an announcement was made for Mr. Lloyd Glenn to see the United Customer Service Representative immediately. I thought nothing of it until I reached the door to leave the plane and I heard a gentleman asking every male if he were Mr. Glenn. At this point I knew something was wrong and my heart sunk.

When I got off the plane a solemn-faced young man came toward me and said, "Mr. Glenn, there is an emergency at your home. I do not know what the emergency is, or who is involved, but I will take you to the phone so you can call the hospital." My heart was now pounding, but the will to be calm took over. Woodenly, I followed this stranger to the distant telephone where I called the number he gave me for the Mission Hospital. My call was put through to the trauma center where I learned that my three-year-old son had been trapped underneath the automatic garage door for several minutes, and that when my wife had found him he was dead. CPR had been performed by a neighbor, who is a doctor, and the paramedics had continued the treatment as Brian was transported to the hospital.

By the time of my call, Brian was revived and they believed he would live, but they did not know how much damage had been done to his brain, nor to his heart. They explained that the door had completely closed on his little sternum right over his heart. He had been severely crushed. After speaking with the medical staff, my wife sounded worried but not hysterical, and I took comfort in her calmness.

The return flight seemed to last forever, but finally I arrived at the hospital six hours after the garage door had come down. When I walked into the intensive care unit, nothing could have prepared me to see my little son lying so still on a great big bed with tubes and monitors everywhere. He was on a respirator. I glanced at my wife who stood and tried to give me a reassuring smile. It all seemed like a terrible dream. I was filled-in with the details and given a guarded prognosis. Brian was going to live, and the preliminary tests indicated that his heart was OK, two miracles in and of themselves. But only time would tell if his brain received any damage.

Throughout the seemingly endless hours, my wife was calm. She felt that Brian would eventually be all right. I hung on to her words and faith like a lifeline. All that night and the next day Brian remained unconscious. It seemed like forever since I had left for my business trip the day before.

Finally at two o'clock that afternoon, our son regained consciousness and sat up uttering the most beautiful words I have ever heard spoken. He said, "Daddy hold me" and he reached for me with his little arms.

[TEAR BREAK...smile]

By the next day he was pronounced as having no neurological or physical deficits, and the story of his miraculous survival spread throughout the hospital. You cannot imagine, we took Brian home, we felt a unique reverence for the life and love of our Heavenly Father that comes to those who brush death so closely.

In the days that followed there was a special spirit about our home. Our two older children were much closer to their little brother. My wife and I were much closer to each other, and all of us were very close as a whole family. Life took on a less stressful pace. Perspective seemed to be more focused, and balance much easier to gain and maintain. We felt deeply blessed. Our gratitude was truly profound.

The story is not over (smile)!

Almost a month later to the day of the accident, Brian awoke from his afternoon nap and said, "Sit down Mommy. I have something to tell you." At this time in his life, Brian usually spoke in small phrases, so to say a large sentence surprised my wife. She sat down with him on his bed, and he began his sacred and remarkable story.

"Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage door? Well, it was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I called to you, but you couldn't hear me.. I started to cry, but then it hurt too bad. And then the 'birdies’ came."

"The birdies?" my wife asked puzzled.

"Yes," he replied. "The birdies made a whooshing sound and flew into the garage. They took care of me."

"They did?"

"Yes," he said. "One of the birdies came and got you. She came to tell you "I got stuck under the door." A sweet reverent feeling filled the room. The spirit was so strong and yet lighter than air. My wife realized that a three-year-old had no concept of death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings who came to him from beyond as "birdies" because they were up in the air like birds that fly.. "What did the birdies look like?" she asked.

Brian answered, "They were so beautiful. They were dressed in white, all white. Some of them had green and white. But some of them had on just white."

"Did they say anything?"

"Yes," he answered. "They told me the baby would be all right."

"The baby?" my wife asked confused.

Brian answered. "The baby lying on the garage floor." He went on, “You came out and opened the garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby to stay and not leave."

My wife nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she had indeed gone and knelt beside Brian's body and seeing his crushed chest whispered, "Don't leave us Brian, please stay if you can." As she listened to Brian telling her the words she had spoken, she realized that the spirit had left His body and was looking down from above on this little lifeless form.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"We went on a trip," he said, "far, far away." He grew agitated trying to say the things he didn't seem to have the words for. My wife tried to calm and comfort him, and let him know it would be okay. He struggled with wanting to tell something that obviously was very important to him, but finding the words was difficult.

"We flew so fast up in the air. They're so pretty Mommy," he added. "And there are lots and lots of birdies." My wife was stunned. Into her mind the sweet comforting spirit enveloped her more soundly, but with an urgency she had never before known. Brian went on to tell her that the "birdies" had told him that he had to come back and tell everyone about the "birdies."

He said they brought him back to the house and that a big fire truck and an ambulance were there. A man was bringing the baby out on a white bed and he tried to tell the man that the baby would be okay. The story went on for an hour. He taught us that "birdies" were always with us, but we don't see them because we look with our eyes and we don't hear them because we listen with our ears. But they are always there, you can only see them in here (he put his hand over his heart). They whisper the things to help us to do what is right because they love us so much. Brian continued, stating, "I have a plan, Mommy. You have a plan, Daddy has a plan. Everyone has a plan. We must all live our plan and keep our promises. The birdies help us to do that cause they love us so much."

In the weeks that followed, he often came to us and told all, or part of it, again and again. Always the story remained the same. The details were never changed or out of order. A few times he added further bits of information and clarified the message he had already delivered. It never ceased to amaze us how he could tell such detail and speak beyond his ability when he talked about his birdies.

Everywhere he went, he told strangers about the "birdies." Surprisingly, no one ever looked at him strangely when he did this. Rather, they always got a softened look on their face and smiled. Needless to say, we have not been the same ever since that day, and I pray we never will be.

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning, that sometimes there isn't anymore.

No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage, old cars, children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips, aging parents and grandparents.

We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things that we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with, make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special. And so, We keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a "keeper"! Then I sent it to the People I think of in the same way. Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, including the person who sent it, if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never woke up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.

Herbie is a fictional character, a Volkswagen Beetle, which "stars" in several Disney motion pictures from 1969 onwards. The car has a mind of his own and is capable of driving himself, and his abilities far exceed those of other cars, which makes him a serious contender in auto racing competition. He is distinguished by red, white and blue racing stripes and has a racing-style number "53" on his front hood, doors, and engine lid.

The car is given its name by an enlightened mechanic named Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) in The Love Bug after his uncle "Herb", who was a middleweight boxer. His uncle had a perpetually broken nose which resembled a Volkswagen Beetle.

Whilst the cars used in all the films were painted an original Volkswagen L87 Pearl white, the interiors of the cars (in all films bar from the 2005 Herbie: Fully Loaded) were painted in a non-reflective grey. This was to prevent the reflection of studio lights whilst filming.

The Love Bug (1969)In the original 1969 film, The Love Bug, the original stripes differ from those in later movies; the stripes do not cover the valances or louvers of the car and the blue is a lighter shade. Also, Herbie features colour-keyed running boards, while in later films the running boards are standard black. During the film, depending on the scene, the wheels change from standard VW wheels (although fitted with plain hubcaps with no VW logo) to specially widened wheels on the racing Herbies. One of the modified racing Herbies featured a Porsche 356 engine, brakes and Koni shocks. All Herbies in The Love Bug had the VW badges removed from the hood and featured plain non-VW hub caps. If you examine these cars closely you will see that the hood-mounted VW logo was replaced with a plain body coloured disc of the same diameter.

Herbie Rides Again (1974)
In Herbie Rides Again, the car features the revised stripes (the blue was switched to a navy) with the addition of a hood mounted spot lamp, and the running boards were now the more conventional black. After the success of the first movie, the film was heavily endorsed by Volkswagen (whose sales of the Beetle were lagging) and the logos reappeared. Additionally, Herbie was running on standard wheels yet again. Volkswagen also promoted the film by having a Type 1 Beetle complete with Herbie livery in every showroom. There are various model errors in this film, such as the later "big window" (post-1964) Beetles being used. Also of note is the "cut-n-shut" engine cover after the warehouse is broken into. The Beetle used was a late model, having a more bulbous flat-bottomed lid with an earlier rounded bottom edge welded on.

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
In Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, the car is again fitted with wide racing wheels (Goodyear GT radials), and also has an external fuel filler cap. The filler cap was fake, being added for the film's storyline. With the addition of the fuel filler, the antenna was now a retractable unit fitted on the front cowling (near the windscreen wipers). Herbie still sports a hood-mounted spotlight, but this time also features a black "Carello" cover. Herbie also now has custom high back seats, being fitted to better conceal the back seat driver. Note the cut-n-shut engine cover again, this time in the scene with flowers. Throughout this film, Herbie has a later asymmetrical shaped door mirror rather than the round mirror correct to this model year (1963). The "wheelie" Herbie in this film is a special fiberglass car. If one examines the paused picture, it can been seen that the car is much shorter than a standard VW, having a fiberglass body mounted atop a tube chassis and an 1835cc performance VW engine (these cars were built by Speed Unlimited in Glendale, California). Interestingly, the Laser 917 GT Coupe driven by Von Stickle in the film was actually a VW based kit car. There were a total of nine VW's used in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. Many of these cars would be recycled for use in Herbie's next feature film, Herbie Goes Bananas in 1980.

Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
The car featured in Herbie Goes Bananas is generally identical to the one featured in Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo but with the fake filler cap removed. The cars still featured a cowl mounted aerial. The rust seen on the car in this film is painted on. Unfortunately, the car that "walks the plank" in the movie was never recovered from the sea. It was tossed overboard from the SS Coromuel ferry ship (not The Sun Princess cruise ship). The car is somewhere between La Paz and Baja. The restored Herbie seen at the end of the movie is a later 1965 model; notice the larger windows and wing mounted turn signals. This film also featured the same later model door mirror as Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo. Herbie set a Guinness World Record as the first car to go through the Panama Canal during filming in 1979. One of the floating Herbies used in the movie survives to this day and is owned by a Herbie enthusiast in Florida. A total of 26 VWs were utilized in the filming of Herbie Goes Bananas. 17 of those cars were auctioned off in August 1980 for as little as USD $25 each. Today, fewer than half of the cars from Herbie Goes Bananas are accounted for.{fact}

Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
In Herbie: Fully Loaded, there are a multitude of continuity errors with the car when compared with the previous films. The numbers are in a different font than that used in the previous films, and the car has reverted to having a standard (body coloured L87 Pearl White, not grey) interior with standard seats. The aerial has now returned to its original front quarter plate mounting and Herbie has lost his front license plate. The glass of the headlights has also been removed and accessory chrome "eyelids" which have the ability to blink have been added. Herbie's front bumper also can change shape to smile or look sad and the sun visors are used to produce a frown.

There has also been a TV series (of which only five episodes were made, each one hour long) and a TV remake of the original movie in 1997:

* "Herbie the Matchmaker" - original air date: 17 March 1982 (also known as "The Love Bug")
* "Herbie to the Rescue" - original air date: 24 March 1982
* "My House Is Your House" - original air date: 31 March 1982
* "Herbie, the Best Man" - original air date: 7 April 1982
* "Calling Doctor Herbie" - original air date: 14 April 1982
* The Love Bug (1997) made-for-TV movie

The first Herbie film, The Love Bug, was inspired by the book Car, Boy, Girl written by Gordon Buford in 1961.

Herbie is generally considered to be the polar opposite of Stephen King's Christine.

Superbug:

A similar series of five German movies called Superbug starred a Volkswagen beetle. In the first movie, which features a rally across Africa, a rich participant is given a "race car" by his wife, which, as she said: "Won the last by race in the United States". This turns out to be a white Volkswagen beetle that has fallen apart in the middle, sporting a barely visible 53 on it. After a quick repair and a new yellow paint job, it even shows a mind of its own, (though not as distinctive as in The Love Bug) chasing its owner, because he insulted the car. It is acquired by a poor guy called Ben, who gives the car the name Dudu, which is Swahili for bug. Other than the facts that the broken up car in the beginning looks like Herbie and that it has a mind of its own, there are no further connections to the Herbie series. In later movies, the car's mind was written in as an A.I. installed into the car. Although all movies "starred" the same yellow beetle and similar characters, they didn't share the same continuity. For example, the beetle's owner and the female lead were always played by the same actors, yet they had different names and/or personalities in each films (in one movie, the beetle's owner was a scientific genius, while in another he was a bitter alcoholic).

Trivia:

* In 1997, an American named David Evans launched the first Internet web page about Herbie. His site can be viewed at http://www.herbiemania.com
* In November 2000, the first Herbie car show took place in Orlando, Florida, USA. The event was know as Herbie Days at Disney 2000.
* In the summer of 2005, Radio Disney offered a promotional drawing to take possession of Herbie, in connection with the release of Herbie: Fully Loaded. It is unknown, however, as to whether this vehicle is one of those actually used in the film.
* RadioShack marketed a radio controlled ZipZap of Herbie in North America as a movie tie-in.
* The toy distributor Planet Toys marketed a 1:6 scale radio controlled Herbie and VW Bus as tie-in promotions for Herbie: Fully Loaded. These were exclusively sold through Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.
* In the early days of the Disney-MGM Studios park, Herbie was on the Backlot Tour. This Herbie did tricks, but burned in an accident. Now, a Herbie from Herbie: Fully Loaded is on display for the tour.
* Bburago produced a model of Herbie that is based off the New Beetle.
* In the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the lead character, Carl "CJ" Johnson, says he once drove a car named Herbie.
Herbie is the only car in the world with his own passport. Disney Studios actually obtained one for him during the filming of Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo back in 1976.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

***Don't assume that I am referring to them Southern United States.... We have plenty o' rednecks in Saskatchewan and Alberta Canada

1. Never take a beer to a job interview.

2. Always identify people in your yard before shooting at them.

3. Its considered poor taste to take a cooler to church.

4. If you have to vacuum the bed, it is time to change the sheets.

5. Even if you're certain that you are included in the will, it is still considered tacky to drive a U-Haul to the funeral home.

***DINING OUT***

1. If drinking directly from the bottle, always hold it with your fingers covering the label.

2. Avoid throwing bones and food scraps on the floor as the restaurant may not have dogs.

***ENTERTAINING IN YOUR HOME***

1. A centerpiece for the table should never be anything prepared by a taxidermist.

2. Do not allow the dog to eat at the table no matter how good his manners are.

***PERSONAL HYGIENE ***

1. While ears need to be cleaned regularly, this is a job that should be done in private using one's OWN truck keys.

2. Proper use of toiletries can forestall bathing for several days; however,if you live alone, deodorant is just a waste of money.

3. Dirt and grease under the fingernails is a social no-no, as they tend to detract from a woman's jewelry and alter the taste of finger foods.

***DATING (Outside the Family)***

1. Always offer to bait your date's hook, especially on the first date.

2. Be aggressive. Let her know you're interested: "I've been wanting to go out with you since I read that stuff on the bathroom wall two years ago."

3. Establish with her parents what time she is expected back. Some will say 10:00 PM; others might say "Monday," If the latter is the answer, it is the man's responsibility to get her to school on time.

4. Always have a positive comment about your date's appearance, such as, "ya sure don't sweat much for a fat broad."

***WEDDINGS ***

1. Livestock, usually, is a poor choice for a wedding gift.

2. Kissing the bride for more than 5 seconds may get you shot.

3. For the groom, at least, rent a tux. A leisure suit with a cummerbund and a clean bowling shirt can create too sporty an appearance.

4. Though uncomfortable, say "yes" to socks and shoes for this special occasion.

5. It is not appropriate to tell the groom how good his wife is in the sack.

***DRIVING ETIQUETTE***

1. Dim your headlights for approaching vehicles; even if the gun is loaded, and the deer is in sight.

2. When approaching a four-way stop, the vehicle with the largest tires always has the right of way.

3. Never tow another car using panty hose and duct tape.

4. When sending your wife down the road with a gas can, it is impolite to ask her to bring back beer.

5. Never relieve yourself from a moving vehicle, especially when driving.

One of these just opened up in Saskatoon, SK Canada. Loved the food! Atmosphere fun!!

The Real Deal His restaurants are Spartan. And Jerry Murrell never advertises. Instead, he prefers to spend on worker bonuses and fresh ingredients. (Photo by Chris Crisman)

Along with his sons, Jerry Murrell of Five Guys Burgers and Fries built a 570-store chain that enjoys a cult following.

Sell a really good, juicy burger on a fresh bun. Make perfect French fries. Don't cut corners. That's been the business plan since Jerry Murrell and his sons opened their first burger joint in 1986. When they began selling franchises in 2002, the family had just five stores in northern Virginia. Today, there are 570 stores across the U.S. and Canada, with 2009 sales of $483 million. Overseeing the opening of about four new restaurants a week, the Murrells are proof that flipping burgers doesn't have to be a dead-end job.

There was this little hamburger place where I grew up in northern Michigan. Almost everyone in our town, except the uppity uppities, ate the burgers. Even though the owner had a cat, which he'd pet while cooking. People called them fur burgers, but they still ate them because they were good.

I studied economics at the University of Michigan. I had no money and needed a place to stay, so I ran a fraternity house's kitchen. I got the cook a raise and let her do the ordering. We started making money, because she knew what she was doing.

My parents died my last year in college. I married, had three kids, divorced, then remarried. I moved to northern Virginia and was selling stocks and bonds. My two eldest sons, Matt and Jim, said they did not want to go to college. I supported them 100 percent.

Instead, we used their college tuition to open a burger joint. Ocean City had 50 places selling boardwalk fries, but only one place always has a 150-foot line -- Thrashers. They serve nothing but fries, but they cook them right -- high-quality potato, peanut oil. That impressed me. I thought a good hamburger-and-fry place could make it, so we started with a takeout shop in Arlington, Virginia.

Our lawyer said, "You need a name." I had four sons -- Matt, Jim, Chad are from my first marriage, and Ben from my second to Janie, who has run our books from Day One. So I said, "How about Five Guys?" Then we had Tyler, our youngest son, so I'm out! Matt and Jim travel the country visiting stores, Chad oversees training, Ben selects the franchisees, and Tyler runs the bakery.

Three days before we opened, I was still working as a trader in stocks and bonds and was in a hotel for a meeting in Pittsburgh. I found a book in the nightstand, next to the Bible, about JW Marriott -- he had an A&W stand that he converted and built into the Hot Shoppes chain. He said, Anyone can make money in the food business as long as you have a good product, reasonable price, and a clean place. That made sense to me.

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in 'Mom let's run through the rain,' she said'What?' Mom asked.'Lets run through the rain!' She repeated'No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit,' Mom replied.This young child waited about another minute and repeated: 'Mom, let's run through the rain,''We'll get soaked if we do,' Mom said.'No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning,' the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.'This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?''Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!' The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.'Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing,' Mom said.Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories. So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

... and it seems like someone else on the net thinking exactly what I was! How weird is that????What happens if the Royal baby is gay?

What if the baby is gay? Will he still have to marry a girl? Will he still have to have children.Same-sex is now legal in the UK, so that does mean a gay Royal will be able to marry the same gender?The 'old' answer would be to stay in the closet for the "good of The Monarchy", (Edward?)Put your thoughts in! Make a comment.

Loyal 'OZ' Followers

Feedblitz Subscribe

Follow 'OZ' by Email

The time for change is now.

About The Wizard...

I was born September 12, 1962 in St. Boniface, MB Canada. I live in Saskatoon, SK. I have one child, a son, of whom I am incredibly proud. I attended Royal school in Charleswood and after a couple of years at St. Paul's High School, I graduated from Shaftesbury High. I attended Red River Community College in Winnipeg and received a certificate in Business Administration, with a Major in Marketing and Management. I attended the University of Manitoba, earning multiple certifications in LAN Administration and industry credentials from Novell, (CNA); Microsoft, (MCP); and CompTia, (A+). February 25, 2002 was an important turning point in my life and I was re-born.

You REALLY Curious?

Find the truth at 'OZ'

All I really need to know...

I learned from The Wizard of OZ

'OZ' - The 'Other' Side of the Rainbow

....There's no place like ~~~~~127.0.0.1~~~~~Click Above To Go To Top

-

Dwell not on the past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onward you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed. --Eileen Caddy